[Muscle changes in chronic obstructive arteriopathy: a morphological, histochemical and morphometric study]

Muscular alteration due to chronic obstructive arteriopathy in lower extremities was studied in 50 patients. An arteriosclerotic pure clinical picture was found in a 50% of them, while the other were associated to diabetes. Histopathological features present in both groups were quite similar and no substantial differences between diabetic and non diabetic patients were found. In patients with an acute clinical course, myopathic changes predominate in tibialis anterior muscle. However, neuropathic alterations were more frequently found in patients with a chronic clinical course. Although histological changes characteristic of chronic obstructive arteriopathy do not exist, this disease can be defined by a characteristic association of muscle lesions that will constitute the "chronic ischaemic myopathy" histological picture. Because of this, muscle biopsy examination in such patients will deliver important information to orient therapeutic attitudes and prognostic predictions.